Life gets noisier every day and very few people can be free from noise of some sort or another. It doesn’t matter where you live—in the middle of a modern city, or a faraway village—the chances that you will be disturbed by jet aeroplanes, transistor radios, oil-powered engines, etc. are almost everywhere .We seem to be getting used to noise, too. Some people feel quite lonely without background music while they are working.

Scientific tests have shown that total silence can be very frightening experience for human beings. However ,some people enjoy listening to pop music which is very loud, and this can do harm to their eardrums(耳鼓).The noise level in some disco is far above the usual safety level for heavy industrial areas.

One recent report about noise and concentration suggested that although a lot of people say that any noise disturbs their concentration, what really affects their ability to concentrate is a change in the level of noise. It goes on to say that a background noise, which doesn’t change too much (music, for example) may even help people to concentrate.

1.The best title for this passage is _______________.

A. Noisy Life                         B. Background Noise

C. Disturbed Concentration              D. Changeable Noise

2. “Background music” in the passage means _______________.

A. music played in the concert        B. a kind of noise coming into your ears

C. music helps people to concentrate      D. music played while people are working

3. Some people may have their hearing hurt _______________.

A. while they are in completely silence   B. while they are dancing violently

C. while they are listening to pop music      D. while they are listening to soft music

4. Scientists have discovered that what prevents people from concentrating is _____.

A. any kind of noise                B. great changes in level of noise

C. background noise                 D. various background music

5. What may even let people concentrate?

A. Changeable noise.   B. Fairly stable noise.  C. Loud noise.  D. Some discos.

Directions：Read the following passage．Fill in the numbered blanks by using the information from the passage．Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer．

New Year traditions all around the world

    “Happy New Year!” Everyone will greet each other with these words as they meet each other over the next couple of weeks. But it wasn’t always January 1 that marked the New Year.

    At least 4,000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians marked the changing of the year. In Egypt, the year started when the Nile River flooded, enriching farmers’ fields. This happened at the end of September.

    The Babylonians held a festival in the spring, on March 23, to kick off the next farming cycle. The Babylonian celebration lasted for 11 days.

    The date January 1 was picked by the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar as the change of the year when he established his own calendar in 46 BC. The month of January originates from the Roman god, Janus. He is pictured with two heads. One head looks forward and the other back. They represent a break between the old and new. The new calendar was in time with the sun and it has been used until the present day.

    In Vietnam, the New Year holiday happens in February. They buy fresh flowers and a peach blossom to put in their house, following the Vietnamese custom.

    Thailand has its specific New Year’s date; it’s different from the normal calendar. The Thai New Year is celebrated on April 13. On this day, Thai people play with water, throwing it on each other. It is intended to bring good luck during the New Year ahead.

    In China, the more favorable New Year is usually celebrated in February according to lunar calendar (阴历). On New Year’s Eve, all family members sit together at table, enjoying lots of auspicious foods such as dumplings, chicken to bring good luck.

New Year traditions all around the world

Jiuzhaigou is a very beautiful place. It is in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Region in Sichuan Province. Jiuzhaigou is a valley. It is more than 40 kilometers long. The green and golden trees, the lofty and multi-shaped mountains and the clear and colorful waters form the unique beauty of Jiuzhaogou. The water of Jiuzhaigou is the soul of the beauty. There are more than 100 lakes of different shapes in the valley. These lakes have wonderful colors. They are called “haizi”, which means son of the sea. It is these beautiful lakes that make Jiuzhaigou a fantastic place. Between the forests and the lakes, there are nine Tibetan villages. The name Jiuzhaigou means Nine Village Valley.

Jiuzhaigou was discovered because of a panda rescue program. The pandas were once endangered because the bamboo there was blooming. When people came to rescue the pandas, they were surprised by the beauty of Jiuzhaigou. After that, Jiuzhaigou became a protected scenic area.

In China, there is a saying which goes like this: No mountain is worth seeing after you have seen Mount Huang and no other body of water will attract you after you have visited Jiuzhaigou. The beauty of Jiuzhaigou cannot be described with mere words. The best way to enjoy this fairyland is to go there. See you in Jiuzhaigou.

 1. What is the best title for the passage? （no more than 3 words）

_____________________________________________________________

 2. How long is the Jiuzhaigou Valley? （no more than 7 words）

_____________________________________________________________

 3. How was the Jiuzhaigou Valley discovered? （no more than 9 words）

 4. What does the name Jiuzhaigou mean? （no more than 7 words）

_____________________________________________________________

Directions：Write an English composition according to the instructions given below in Chinese．

李平因在学校使用手机被学校处分，他感到很困惑，写信向你求助。请根据以下结构提示给李平回信。开头结尾已给出。     

注意：1) 字数120词左右；

Dear Li Ping,

Your letter reached me yesterday. It is said in your letter that you are punished for using a cell-phone. _________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________It is right for school to prevent you from using cell-phones in school.

                                                         Yours ever,

Joe, along with her three sisters, _______great interest in writing these days.

A. was showing       B. were showing     C. is showing       D. are showing

 Guangzhou was the second Chinese city_______ the right _______the Asian Games.

A. obtaining; to host                    B. to obtain; hosted

  C. to obtain; to host                    D. obtaining; hosting

 In the past half-century, average incomes _______ quickly in developed countries, yet happiness levels have remained almost the same.

A. have risen      B. had risen        C. rose        D. rise

With his mother_______ him, he is getting on well with his work.

A. helping        B. to help          C. help       D. helped

We live in a society _______ there is a great deal of debate about competition.

A. which         B. where           C. when        D. that

 All 5 children of the Blacks, _______ are now working abroad, will come back for their parents’ 50^th wedding anniversary.

A. two of whom    B. two of them    C. both of whom   D. both of them